


Whisper

by mseg_21



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Eddie and Sonia fight, Flirting, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Reddie, Richie cheers him up, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2019-05-14 13:47:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14770769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mseg_21/pseuds/mseg_21
Summary: For the weekly reddie prompt on tumblr: "whisper".





	Whisper

“I told you, Ma, I don’t want to go!” Eddie tells his mother as determined as possible.

“Eddie bear, you’re going and that’s final.”

“But Ma, it’s almost half the summer! I won’t be able to see my friends!”

Sonia grimaces, “It will do you good to spend some time away from them.”

Eddie rolls his eyes, taking a deep breath, somehow all of their arguments always end up being about his choice of friends.

“They’re my friends. You can’t make me stop seeing them.”

“Unfortunately, no. But I can take you with me to visit your aunt and keep you away from them for the summer.  And that’s _exactly_ what I’m going to do,” his mom says, done with the argument.

But Eddie isn’t done. He stands up straight and glares at his mother. Then, with as much resolve as he can muster, he says, “No, I won’t.”

Mrs. Kaspbrak turns to face him, scandalized.

“What did you just say?”

“I said I won’t go with you. I’m sixteen, I can take care of myself for a couple of weeks while you’re away. You can go visit your sister, but I’m not going.”

Eddie watches as his mother’s face turns a deep shade of red and her eyes grow so wide they look like they might pop out. She is holding on to the kitchen table so tight that her knuckles turn white.

Eddie prepares for the inevitable yelling coming his way. Instead, his mother answers in a calm collected voice, which is honestly far more frightening.

“You either come with me this summer or next year, we’re moving to Haven with your aunt Sylvia. See how you and your friends like that.”

The color drains from Eddie’s face, “Y-y-you wouldn’t.” God, he sounds just like Bill. “You hate her, you wouldn’t want to live with her, you’re always complaining about her when we visit, you―”

“It doesn’t matter,” she says, waving him off, “She is growing old and sick and she needs help. We must help those in need, Eddie bear. Besides, if it means finally dragging you away from those vandals you call friends, who have turn you into such a rebellious teenager, you better believe I would.”

Eddie gawks at her in disbelief, he can feel his eyes sting with tears but he refuses to cry in front of his mother. He hasn’t in a long time and he isn’t going to start now.

“That’s not fair,” Eddie says and he hates how his voice cracks, showing his mother just how affected he is.

“Life is as fair as it is safe, Edward,” Sonia says. Then, knowing she won the argument, she turns her back on his son and leaves the kitchen.

Eddie thinks of following her and fighting with her some more, but he knows it’s pointless. He is going with her and there is nothing he can do about it.

The thought of not seeing his friends for five weeks brings back the urge to cry, his throat tightens and his vision turns blurry. He flees to his room and forcefully slams the door shut, knowing his mother will hear it and it will make her angry. _Good_ , he thinks, _if I am angry, she should be too._

As soon as he is in his room, he can’t hold back the tears anymore. He throws himself into his bed and starts crying, gripping the pillow tight and occasionally hitting the mattress in anger.

He falls asleep at some point because he wakes up hours later, when there’s no longer sunlight shining through the window. He feels tired and his eyes are swollen from crying.

He hears his mother knocking on his door, which must be what woke him up in the first place.

The thought of his mother brings Eddie’s anger back to the surface and he glares at the door.

“Eddie bear? Dinner’s ready, come eat with me,” she tells him, sweetly as if she hadn’t crushed his summer plans less than a few hours ago.

Eddie doesn’t answer, not only does he not want to talk to her at all, he also knows his voice will come out hoarse and cracked if he does and she will know he had been crying.

“I know you’re not asleep, Eddie,” she says, growing angry, but Eddie doesn’t answer, “Fine, if you want to stay in there and skip dinner, do it but at least start packing, we leave on Monday.”

Eddie groans into the pillow, not caring if his mom hears him or not.

He feels his eyes prickle with tears again but he is done crying, it only makes him feel worse. He needs something to cheer him up, take his mind off of his mother and the summer that awaits him.

As quietly as possible he pads over to his desk where a landline phone is. He dials a phone number that he knows by heart and waits.

Three rings later, he hears someone pick up.

“Casa de Tozier, Richie speaking.”

Eddie lets out a sigh of relief when Richie is the one who answers.

“Richie?” Eddie whispers. He wouldn’t be surprised if his mother was listening from the other side of the door and even if she wasn’t, his room is so close to the kitchen that she might hear him if he raises his voice over a whisper.

“Eddie Spaghetti, hey!” Richie says, excited. Then he lowers his voice, “why are we whispering?”

“My mom doesn’t know I’m calling you and I don’t want her to hear me,” Eddie says and he cringes at how hoarse his voice sounds. He hopes Richie doesn’t notice.

But he is _not_ that lucky.

Richie frowns, “Is everything okay, Eds?” he asks, his usual mocking tone gone, replaced by sincere concern.

“Of course, everything is great,” Eddie says, without a trace of excitement in his voice.

Richie scoffs, “Right. I can tell that you’ve been crying and you didn’t even give me shit for calling you Eddie Spaghetti. Forgive me if I don’t buy it.”

“I’m fine, Rich, really.” Eddie tries to make his voice as normal as possible, but he knows it’s pointless. Richie knows him like the back of his hand.

“Bullshit, Eds.”

Eddie sighs, “I don’t want to talk about it.” If he did, he would start crying again and that’s the opposite of why he called Richie in the first place.

Richie sighs in frustration, “Then what? What do you want me to do, Eds?”

That, Eddie does know how to answer. “Cheer me up, tell me the best joke you’ve got.”

Is clear Richie wants to argue, but instead he says, “All my jokes are amazing, Eds. How am I supposed to choose? Do you want a dirty joke? A silly joke? A your-mom joke?”

“Not a your-mom joke, please. I don’t want to think about her.”

“Ah, so that’s who’s got you so upset. Can’t say I’m surprised.”

“Rich.”

“Okay, sorry. So dirty joke or not?”

“No dirty jokes, please.”

“Prude. Alright, I got it,” Richie clears his throat, “What goes in hard and dry but comes out soft and wet?”

Eddie rolls his eyes, “Richie, I said―”

“Chewing gum! Ha-ha!” Richie exclaims and Eddie can perfectly picture him and his silly grin on the other end of the line.  

He surprises himself by letting out a chuckle, his hand flies to his mouth in an attempt to keep quiet, worried that his mother will hear him. He grabs the phone and moves to the bed, away from the door.

“That’s your best joke?”

“Hey, it made you laugh!” Richie says, offended.

Eddie snorts, “Because of how bad it was.”

“Uh huh, keep telling yourself that. I’m fucking hilarious, Eds.”

“Prove it.”

“Oh, is that a challenge, Eddie my love?”

Eddie chokes on his spit and blushes, just like he always does when Richie calls him that. Not trusting his voice, he hums in response.

Richie clears his throat once again, “The other day the police arrested two kids, one was drinking battery acid, the other was eating fireworks,” he pauses for dramatic effect, “They charged one – and let the other one off.”

This time Eddie can’t help laughing, he grabs a pillow and burrows his face in it to smother the sound of his laughter. He is still holding the phone to his ear and he is sure Richie can hear him laughing into the pillow, he knows there's probably a self-satisfied smile on his face.

Without giving Eddie a chance to recover, Richie asks, “What is a cannibal’s first choice in a restaurant?” Again, he pauses before delivering the punch line, “The waiter.”

Stupid jokes or not, they have Eddie lying on his side, face pressed against his pillow, crying for the second time that day, this time of laughter.

Richie is really enjoying hearing Eddie laugh like this, especially after hearing the sadness in his friend’s voice when he first called.

“Where do you get virgin wool from?” Richie says, “Ugly sheep!”

By now, Eddie is convulsing with laughter and having trouble breathing.  

“Richie―oh God, please stop,” Eddie says, gasping for air, “My stomach hurts.”

But Richie is having too much of a good time to stop, “Sorry what was that, Eds, one more joke? Sure thang, mah man. What’s black, red, black, red, black, red?”

“Richie no―” Eddie warns him.

But Richie ignores him, “A zebra with a sunburn!”

Eddie continues laughing until his laughter is reduced to giggles. Richie finds that the sound of Eds giggling is just as adorable through the phone as it is in person.

“Beep beep, Richie,” Eddie says, wiping the tears from his eyes.

“But Eds, hearing you laugh is like hearing angels sing. How can you deprive me of that?”

“You’re going to give me an asthma attack, you idiot.”

Richie seems to consider it, he sighs, “Fine.”

“Thank you, Rich.”

“I’m only stopping because I’m not there to shove a fucking inhaler into your mouth.”

Eddie chuckles, “Okay. But that’s not what I was thanking you for.”

“For what then, Eds?”

“Taking my mind off of things, making me laugh, even though I know it pissed you off that I didn’t tell you what was wrong,” Eddie says, staring at the ceiling and playing with the phone’s cord.

“It didn’t piss me off, I just― I was worried, I still am.”

Eddie doesn’t answer for a long time, his breathing the only sign that he’s still on the line. Richie doesn’t say anything either, but Eddie can hear movement through the phone, he is probably walking around his living room, incapable of sitting still.

Eddie hadn’t meant to worry him, he had called Richie because he was the best at making Eddie laugh and he had needed someone to cheer him up, but now that he had made him worry, he felt bad, it wasn’t fair for him.

“My mom is forcing me to go with her to my aunt’s house in Haven this summer.”

The shuffling stops and he hears Richie groan, “For how long?”

“Five weeks.”

Richie gasps, “Five weeks? Shit Eds, that’s like―”

“Half the summer? Yeah.”

“And there’s absolutely no way she’ll let you stay here? Or come back early?” Richie asks, hopeful.

“None, I tried. I told her I wasn’t going, that I was old enough to stay home alone and that she couldn’t make me go.”

Richie chuckles, “That’s my boy.”

Eddie feels his stomach flutter at that. He clears his throat and continues, “She said that if I didn’t go with her, she would move us in permanently with her next year.”

“What the fuck? She can’t do that!” Richie exclaims, outraged.  Eddie hears the sound of a chair falling, Richie must have stood up abruptly, making the chair fall.

“She can. She’s my mother.”

“Well, I’d like to see her try. I’ll fight her if she does. You fucking bet I will.”

Eddie snorts, “You’ll fight my mom?”

“Uh huh.”

“I thought you loved her,” Eddie says with a chuckle.

“Yeah well, I love _you_ more,” Richie says. He hears Eddie gasp and he realizes what he just said, “I mean, uh, you’re― I wouldn’t let her drag you away from me. Us. Your friends I mean,” he stammers, nervous.

Eddie smiles at his ceiling, “Richie?”

“Uh, yeah?”

“I love you too,” Eddie says, grateful that Richie can’t see the way he’s blushing or the dopey smile on his face, “but _please_ don’t fight my mom. She would crush you and still move us away.”

“Wow, you think that little of me, Eds?”

Eddie chuckles, “I’ve seen you fight, Rich. It’s pathetic.”

Richie huffs, “So what? I’m just supposed to sit and watch while she moves you away?”

“Hopefully, it won’t come to that. After all, she’s getting what she wants, which is to ruin my summer by not letting me spend it with you.”

Richie sighs, “This fucking sucks.”

Eddie lets out a humorless laugh, “Fucking tell me about it. I’m going to miss you so much, all of you.”

“But mostly me, eh?” Richie jokes.

“I mean, I’ll kill you if you tell the others but, yeah, mostly you and your ugly face and big mouth.”

He can hear the shit-eating grin on Richie’s voice, “You love this face, Eds. As for this big mouth, you should know it has its advantages.”

“Beep beep, asshole.” Eddie says, shaking his head. Richie lets out a chuckle. “Promise me you won’t have too much fun while I’m gone.”

Richie snorts, “As if. I will― I mean, _we_ will probably be miserable.”

“Not as miserable as me, I bet―” He hears movement in the kitchen and he snaps his mouth shut, worried that his mother heard him and it’s coming to his room to take the phone away from him.

“Eds?”

Eddie shushes him and waits but his mother never comes barging into his room.

He sighs in relief, “Sorry, I thought my mom heard us,” he whispers.

“So, when are you leaving?”

“Monday.”

Alarmed, Richie exclaims, “Monday? But that’s one day away!”

“I know.”

Richie groans, “That’s it. You’re coming over tomorrow.”

Eddie frowns, “If your plan is to hide me and hope my mom just leaves me behind, you should know she would burn your house down before doing that.”

“Well shit, there goes my plan!” Richie replies, making Eddie chuckle. “No, but seriously, you’re coming over.”

“Why?” Eddie asks, confused.

“Because, my dearest Eddie, if I’m not going to see you for five weeks I should at least get to say goodbye properly.”

“I can’t come over tomorrow, Rich.”

“What? Why?”

“Because we’re all going to the quarry, remember? Bill told us yesterday.”

“Shit, yeah, I forgot.” Richie says, upset.

“You can say goodbye to me there. You all can.”

“Uh huh.”

Eddie frowns at Richie’s tone, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s just that the moment everyone knows you’re leaving they will be all over you and, I uh, I kind of wanted it to be just us, you know. It’s silly, I know and fucking selfish.”

“It’s not,” Eddie says, quietly, “You can come over later tonight. If you want.”

Richie lit up at that, “Really?”

“Yeah, you might need to climb through the window though, and we need to be quiet, if my mom finds out, she’ll kill you.”

“No problemo, Spaghetti-o. I was in the mood for climbing a tree anyways.”

Eddie chuckles, “Try to be quiet though, she almost caught you last time.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Eds, I’m stealthy like a ninja.”

Eddie snorts, “So stealthy that you tripped on your way in and brought my desk chair down with you.”

“That desk chair shouldn’t have gotten in my way.”

Eddie shakes his head, “It wasn’t the chair’s fault. You’re just clumsy.”

“I am not!” When he hears Eddie huff, he adds, “Okay, maybe a little.”

Eddie chuckles, “I’ll see you soon, you idiot.”

“Don’t forget to leave your window open.”

“Don’t worry,” Eddie says, preparing to hang up. But before he does, he adds, “Hey Rich?”

“Yeah, Eds?”

“Thanks again, you always know how to make me feel better.”

“You don’t have to thank me. There’s nothing I enjoy doing more, Eddie Spaghetti.”

Eddie smiles, “Don’t call me that.”

Richie laughs, “Now there’s the Eds I know and love.”

Eddie giggles and he feels like a high school girl with a crush, lying in bed, twirling the phone’s cord around his finger and giggling at Richie’s flirting. He needs to pull himself together by the time Richie shows up because then he won’t be able to hide his blush behind a phone. That doesn't keep him from wanting Richie to get there though. 

“Bye, Richie,” Eddie whispers, a smile on his face before hanging up the phone.

He hears his mother leave the kitchen then, probably going to her room to sleep. Eddie can’t help being glad, he might have been able to keep quiet while on the phone with his friend, but Richie himself is incapable of being quiet.  

Eddie opens the window and goes to lie on his bed to wait for Richie to get there. He thinks it’s crazy how less than an hour ago he had been feeling terrible and now he’s in a great mood, all thanks to him.

Sure he’s still angry at his mother and hates the idea of spending his summer away from his friends, away from Richie but he thinks that maybe this is the way he will make it through, without being completely miserable, exchanging whispered phone conversations with the only person who can make it all better for him, one Richie Tozier.  

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think, leave a comment or come find me at @jem-carstairs-is-perfection <3


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